Council issues stark warning to fly-tippers after Sheffield is highlighted as a litter dropping hot spotÂ

Fly-tipping at Chatham Street Car Park, which has since been cleared up.

Data released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs showed there wereÂ 12,616 fly-tipping incidents across the city in the 12 months to March, which equates to more than 30 incidents a day. Â

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This was one of the highest of any local authorities in the UK.Â

Sheffield City Council warnedÂ anyone caught fly-tipping faces a maximum of five years in prison for the most serious offences.

In a statement, the authority said: 'Those who dump waste and throw litter irresponsibly cause a huge drain on Sheffield's resources.

'Sheffield City Council's environmental protection service work hard to combat fly tipping and littering in the city, issuing fixed penalty notices, investigating reports and cases of fly tipping and in some cases taking it through to criminal prosecution.

The cleared site at Chatham Street Car Park.

'If members of the public see a fly-tip then please report the vehicle to the enforcement authorities.

'Fly-tipping is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to Â£50,000 or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates' Court. The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court

'Where a vehicle is used in a fly tipping offence, the person in control of a vehicle can be convicted even though they may not have been present

'Vehicles involved in fly tipping can be seized by the Council and may be forfeited if proceedings are successful.Â '

The authority highlighted how it has issued fixed penalty notices for 160 fly-tipping offences in the last 12 months, which totalled Â£11, 760.

In addition, 194 fixed penalty notices have been issued for litter dropping over the same time frame.

In recent months, the Sheffield Litter Pickers group highlighted how a large amount of litter had been dumped at the back of the former Ball Inn at Heeley and called for action to be taken to clear up the mess.

And in the summer tonnes of rubbish was removed from Chatham Street Car Park near Kelham Island after the litter-strewn mess was highlighted in The Star.